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WP 3.5 Beta Now Available

Before you begin accessing the WP 3.5 beta, please read the following important information.

The term “beta” in the software industry means it is a version that is largely tested and stable, but may still have a few bugs. In addition, it often means that enhancements and features may still be forthcoming for the “full release” version. We are hoping you will play an important role in informing us of both bugs you encounter, and improvements you’d like to see as you use the site. Every page should have a “Feedback” link on the left side where you can easily give us your comments.

The data is real! Any changes you make to the beta site also affect the data in the older version. So just keep that in mind as you explore the new version. Of course, you are welcome (and even encouraged) to use the beta site for your regular service planning.

Support documentation is coming. If you need help with a feature, chances are we don’t yet have the support documentation on the site to help you out. You are more than welcome to contact us with questions (those questions will help us get the support documentation right). The feedback link is probably your best bet, or email us at beta-support@worshipplanning.com.

My.WorshipPlanning.com pages are not updated…yet. We will likely skip the public beta phase with the MyWP pages. They will be updated to look very similar to the 3.5 beta pages.

Okay. If you have read the above and are ready to get started, please use the link below to get to our new login page. You are welcome to explore (and provide feedback on, if you want) the new “exterior” pages also. If you wish to have others access the beta site, please point them to this blog entry.

How long will beta last? That depends on how well it goes. We are hoping to graduate from beta in 4-8 weeks.

What features have been added?
– Improve look and feel (better colors, icons, etc).
– Drag and Drop service elements – Instead of using the arrow up and down icons, just drag the elements “move” icon to the desired location.
– Copy Worship Elements – You can now copy a worship activity/element to any other (unlinked) service. All the details and notes will be copied with it.
– Home Page – This is your default page when you login. It shows what services are coming up, your next assignments, your custom links (to external websites), and your teams.
– Role icons – assign a graphic icon to a role
– Virtual Stage – Drag and Drop the service roles to setup a virtual stage
– Rehearsal Scheduling – schedule rehearsals for your services (and email the team to notify)
– Teams – Organize people into teams and allow a team leader to schedule/manage them
– People Pictures – Upload a picture for each Planner and Helper
– Person Info Pop-up – Click on a person’s name and see the person’s picture, contact info, and a menu of possible account-related actions.
– Change assignment response of other people – If you have the security access, you can quickly respond to an assignment on behalf of that person.
– Change availability of other people – If you have the security access, you can quickly change the availability dates of other individuals.
– Greatly improved Template Management – Building a template is like building a service.
– Songs Library always one click away – The library pages are more efficient to navigate.
– More accessible admin page – Links to deeper admin pages have been added right on the admin page.
– Customize Quick Links – From the Home page, you can specify various quick links to other websites to appear on most pages in WP.
– Many more security, performance, and cosmetic enhancements.

Are you planning more features before the full release?
We are. The really big feature we are working on now is a great improvement of the file management. We expect to greatly increase the amount of disk space churches can use, and allow multiple files to be attached to songs, services, teams, and maybe other elements of WP.

Other features in development include an improved print-out page, song-key transposing, scheduling people with a multi-week view page, and more!

How can I help you guys, in addition to beta testing and feedback?
We’d be honored to have your prayers as we continue this ministry. These are exciting times.